Heart attack

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Crazy Shopping and Bread-and-Butter Pudding

(Thursday) I've been to Sainsbury's this morning. I'm just a little bit shocked by the crazy behaviour of shoppers in there. Many of the aisles have shelves completely empty. People don't seem to be panic buying toilet rolls, but stuff like biscuits and dog food has gone. I wanted liquid soap, the sort that comes in those handy little pump bottles. Not a single one in stock. Sainsbury have put signs up as you enter the store, asking shoppers to restrict the amount they buy and then not being able to buy any more than three of certain items. Looking at shopper's trolleys and baskets in Sainsbury's this morning, it would appear that most people are not listening to this advice and as a result a lot of products are missing from the shelves. Just a very selfish attitude and certainly not caring that some people, probably the most vulnerable, are having to go without some items they need.

Just to change direction somewhat, I must mention my culinary capabilities. I like to think I'm quite capable of whipping up a meal without too much bother. I always managed to make sure that Carol, bless her, had a decent meal when she got home from a hard day working at Milton Keynes Academy, where she worked as a science teacher. This evening what I made was a bread-and-butter pudding, which has to probably be what I might term my signature dish. This was made with brioche, which I purchased whilst in Aldi the other day. Light and fluffy and I will have to make again. Cut fairly thin and spread with butter (make sure it's butter and not margarine spread.). Cut the slices into triangles and start to layer them in your oven-proof dish, adding a few raisins or currents, liberally sprinkled, and then, whisk up an egg in some milk, making sure that the egg is properly whisked and then pour this mixture over the bread and then put into your pre-heated oven for around 20 minutes at 200. It's probably a good idea to check on the bread and butter pudding several times whilst cooking, to make sure it's not burning. Serve with either custard or cream. De-licious, and so easy to make. You can make with standard sliced white bread, but brioche makes a far lighter pudding.

(Saturday) I was in need for milk this morning. I hadn't run out entirely, but I still needed to get some. I wasn't over-keen to go anywhere, because of the coronavirus outbreak and mixing with other people put me at risk. The government has now closed schools, theatres, gyms, pubs and other places where people gather. We are supposed to keep at least a metre between ourselves and others. What sort of measure is that anyway? I know a yard, but a metre? Is that an arm's length? I don't know exactly. It's fine for those who were taught at school to use metric, but I was probably the last generation to use and be taught imperial measures. Sainsbury's don't want customers to use actual cash and to pay using contactless with our cards. Fair enough, I don't have a problem with that. There were far more people in the store than I was expecting. Probably thinking like me, that there would be fewer other people, to avoid any sort of contact and possible infection. I still cant't find hand sanitiser, not even for ready money (to quote Oscar Wilde.) Also, no toilet rolls, again, for ready money. They didn't have enough staff on the manned checkouts and I'm not over-keen to use the self-service tills. Why is it, whenever I attempt to use them, they don't work properly? You scan certain items though them and they don't work, which means you end up having to get a member of staff to do it for you. I had a Nectar voucher, which meant, if I bought something in their clothing range, TU, which is Sainsbury's brand of clothing, I would get bonus points. I selected a rather nice short-sleeved shirt, but when I went to pay for it at the checkout and handed the lady at the till the voucher, it wouldn't scan, so I had to go to the customer service counter. It did go through and scan and I got my bonus points.

I took Alfie out again when I had unpacked. The woman who I have mentioned in these blog posts, who stands in the road at the crossing from Strudwick Drive onto Oldbrook Green and stops cars to ask for money was out at around 7.30 and again when I last took Alfie out at 9.30. The first time I was in the car and very nearly ran into her as she was standing in the road near The Cricketers and the second time she was walking in the middle or the road along Strudwick Drive. She's going to get run over sooner or later. I have let the police know on several occasions and also rung Milton Keynes social services department but unless they have the woman's name they can do nothing to help. Which isn't helping matters and there's no way I can find out her name. The situation will just go on regardless and there's nothing more I can do or anyone else for that matter.



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